Vivariums house a number of animals, typically test animals, such as rats or mice, in a number of cages, often a large number. Prior art observation and recording of animal behavior is done manually. Some prior art observations has been automated by the use of cameras and other sensors.
Typically, animals are segregated into groups of cages where that group is part of an experiment.
Weakness of manual observation prior art is that it is not continuous and is not consistent. A weakness of automated observation is that it does not include all desirable parameters in a simple, cost-effective implementation.
Prior art automated video processing of animal activity in a cage is compromised by variable locations of equipment within the cage; inability to rapidly service equipment and husbandry supplies within the cage; inability to see an animal in the cage at all locations within the cage; inability to determine via a single video source water level and food level; and inconsistent cage configuration.
Prior art animal food trays suffer from easy spoilage or contamination and from poor serviceability.